I try not to allow Neil Gaiman's personal whiffs (Amanda Palmer, ugh) to interfere with how much I love his writing.
Because holy cow I do love his writing!
American Gods and Anansi Boys remain two of my favorite contemporary fantasy novels, but Stardust may now join them on the "Gaiman books I love" list. I'm a sucker for the "dark fairy tale meets everyday youth" genre--like John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things, for example--and Stardust is an excellent addition to the list. Set in the mid nineteenth century, the tale of Tristan Thorn, a young man who leaves his hometown of Wall and passes into the land of Faerie to retrieve a fallen star for the woman he loves, is exactly the kind of story I think I would read aloud to my children (though there is, I believe, one word that might need censoring for the young) if I had them. It's got villains who are scary, but not nightmare inducing, heroes who are common, and therefore somewhat relatable, and both male and female characters worth looking up to. If nothing else, it's the kind of book I can imagine reading aloud with my wife, because we do that sort of thing sometimes.
Stardust is a sort of sweet and slightly more modern version of something like Alice in Wonderland or Peter Pan, and I think that's exactly what Gaiman is going for. It's funny, it's full of magic, it's heartfelt. It may not have the dark edge that Gaiman's more adult work has, but that's not really the point. It's a love story, at its heart, but it has the same sort of cleverness that Gaiman is known for. It's a frothy bit of nothing that feels like an old friend by the time you close its cover.
And that's a pretty great accomplishment.
Grade: A-
Director: Richard CurtisGenre: Comedy DramaSource: USA (2013)
Rating: R
Location/Format: Island Cinema
Grade: B-
Domnhall Gleeson--who first came onto my radar in last year's Anna Karenina and has a unique look and an imminently likable persona--channels his inner Hugh Grant to great effect in this little sentimental comedy. It's schmaltzy, and cheesy, and predictable, and fairly devoid of real stakes or drama, but it also happens to be sweet and good-hearted, and sometimes that goes a long way to making a sappy little nothing into a nice time at the theater.
Marketed as a romantic comedy, About Time isn't so much about getting the girl as it is about getting your own life. Curtis--whose Love Actually remains a Christmas favorite at my house, though I certainly understand why his treacly, heart-on-your-sleeve sensibilities don't work for everyone--is more interested in family relationships than strictly romantic ones. Yes there is boyfriend/girlfriend and husband/wife sentiment here, but there is also sibling love, and extended family love, and a whole lot of parent/child love. In other words, it's a film that will make you miss your dad (I suppose, of course, expecting you had a fairly all right sort of dad to begin with) and want to spend more time with your kids. (I assume, not having any myself).
The film doesn't spend a lot of time worrying about the intricacies or implications of time travel (pretty much suggesting that it just works and don't think about it), and if that bothers you then you probably aren't suited to the film in the first place. Instead Curtis makes clever, likable people go through small, relatable challenges to remind us that, for most of us middle-class well-adjusted types, life isn't so bad if we'll just let ourselves enjoy it. Of course, if you are not a middle-class well-adjusted type, your mileage may vary.
Fortunately, those likable people are led out by the always enjoyable Bill Nighy, the often cute Rachel McAdams, and the previously mentioned Gleeson. The three all have nice chemistry, and as the film progresses they take on the feel as a somewhat comfortable and lived-in family.
I don't begrudge anyone for whom the film just suffers from an overdose of self-satisfied sentimentalism, but I have to admit I found it quite likable. Again I come back to that word likable. I think that's the defining adjective of this film for me. It's not mind-blowing or even great, but it's a pleasant enough way to spend an evening and reflect positively on one's own life and reminding yourself that your own life--even if not quite as perfect as the characters here--is also overall quite likable.
Director: Cameron CroweGenre: DocumentarySource: USA (2011)
Rating: R
Location/Format: Netflix Instant Watch
Grade: A-
I can't help but think your response to this documentary will be heavily based on how strongly you feel about Pearl Jam and their music. Having just attended a concert and re-immersed myself in their music in the weeks leading up to the show, Crowe's love letter documentary was a pretty great capper.
Crowe spends a lot of time looking at the band's early days and early incarnations (Mother Love Bone, Mookie Blaylock, etc.) as well as their impact. If he is wide-eyed and adoring at times (not really exploring much the backlash the band has faced or the lows as much as the highs), you can't really blame him. This is a film from a fan, after all, and if nothing else his interview does prompt the band members to open up and wax philosophical a few times.
Still, the film is really about what makes Pearl Jam speak to some people, and in that regard it's a rousing success. Lots of concert footage, lots of greatest hits tracks--and yes, some deep cuts also--make this a pretty good compilation of all the great work the band has done, even as it explores some of the deeper sources for that work.
Like most films about artists, this is about enthusiasm rather than real critical examination, but that doesn't make it any less worthwhile. Watching Eddie climb on the rigging, hearing the Spinal-Tap-esque tale of the drummers, seeing how these guys have grown apart and grown together--it's heart-filled and ultimately optimistic stuff. It celebrates the stuff that makes Pearl Jam stand out to fans--different set lists every night, the seeming humility of the band members, the desire to do things their own way.
Plus, there's track after track of incredible music.
As a fan, it's pretty great to see. Makes me want to track down tickets to another concert.
Director: Alan TaylorGenre: Sci-Fi/ SuperheroSource: USA (2013)
Rating: PG-13
Location/Format: Glynn Place Stadium Cinema
Grade: B
Two Thor movies in (plus numerous cameo appearances) and Chris Hemsworth hasn't made him any more interesting--he's a God, he's cocky, he's in love, he's a fish-out-of-water (lather, rinse, repeat), but it doesn't really matter, because you probably didn't come to the movie for Thor. You came to the movie for Loki.
And Loki is interesting. And Loki is fun.
Thor: The Dark World gave me the same general viewing experience as the first Thor film. First, eye rolling at the deep mythology, then entertainment when a few interesting supporting characters show up, followed by eventual delight and pleasure in the adventure on screen and the clever quips that keep on coming--thanks, once again, to Loki, as well as a handful of others.
Is there character development? Not really. Is their anything really at stake. Again, not really. The downside of this giant Marvel universe is that we know the status quo will remain mostly the same so that we can get to the next big Avengers movie where "everything will change." It's the downside of the success of the franchise, I guess. Maybe you could kill off a supporting character or two to give one of the heroes some emotional depth, but really change things? Really have a dark chapter (like, say, The Empire Strikes Back, for example)? Not too likely.
Still, this is fun popcorn. Christopher Eccleston (unrecognizable in all that make up) is a fine, but almost entirely forgettable villain, but his character allows for some nice big battle sequences, and who cars anyway, because it's really Loki that we care about as antagonist to Thor anyway.
And Loki is here. So it works.
Director: Jeong-beom Lee
Genre: ThrillerSource: South Korea (2010)
Rating: R
Location/Format: Netflix Instant Watch
Grade: A
Having just watched The Chaser earlier in the week, it's hard for me not to compare the two. So many similar elements: the loner hero (or anti-hero) at its heart, the mother involved in shady dealings who is put in harm's way, the daughter who becomes an innocent victim of the mother's lifestyle, the quest to save one or both of the damsels in distress, the occasionally shocking violence perpetrated over the course of the film. But while I have a feeling The Chaser might be the more complex filt man it's m--more moral ambiguities, fewer clear cut good guys, despite a plethora of bad guys, etc.--I think The Man from Nowhere was the more entertaining to watch. It's a little bit more Hollywood-glossy, with a more tragic and heroic figure at its hear, so it's also not quite as bleak, and it's a lot more stylish, with plenty of heroic moments, strong fight choreography, and flair.
The "pawnshop ghost"--Tae-sik Cha--lives a life of solitude, his only friend a young girl named So-mi, whose mother and everyone else calls garbage. The two form a shaky friendship, but when So-mi and her mother are abducted for the mother's role in a drug heist, Tae-sik (whose mysterious past gives him a particular set of skills useful for this kind of thing) goes on a one-man war against the Chinese gang responsible. Sadistic killers, confused cops, organ harvesters, and Korean crime bosses all get involved, but Tae-sik continues on, as he realizes he really has nothing else to live for.
Revenge/redemption stories are nothing new for Korea, but they sure do them well. The film is helped a lot by Bin Won's performance as Tae-sik. He's stoic, but haunted, and Won allows the tragedy and desperation he feels in all his actions leak out through his eyes. That he's as effective in the fight sequences is another bonus. The film's cinematography is another strength. There are a lot of beautiful shots here--from rain soaked car chases to brightly lit criminal lairs to cramped and torturous spaces, but each scene and location has an element of clarity and even beauty to it. And when it gets into the fights--particularly the climactic knife fights toward the film's end--it's both terrible and awe-inducing to watch.
In the end, though other Korean revenge films might be better or more complex, The Man from Nowhere is perhaps the most enjoyable of the genre that I've seen. It has a bit of a sentimental heart at its core, and when dealing with such dark and disturbing subject matter, maybe that's not a bad thing.
Director: Peter WeirGenre: DramaSource: USA (1998)
Rating: PG-13
Location/Format: DVD
Grade: A
Was reality tv already this popular in 1998, or were Peter Weir and writer Andrew Niccol just ahead of their time? The story of a man whose world literally falls apart around him is one I love showing to my sophomore literature students as we're studying satire. It's old enough and obscure enough that few of them have seen it, it's compelling and powerful enough that most of them love it. And as satire--of reality tv, of religion, of our own obsessions with pop culture? It just works.
Jim Carrey--while occasionally hamming it up Jim-Carrey-style a bit too much--is here in one of his best roles as Truman Burbank (I mean, even the names in this film are so metaphorically rich), whose life seems perfect: perfect town, perfect friends, perfect wife (well, maybe not so perfect). But as in most utopia/dystopia stories, things are not all they appear to be. When the world around him starts to show some holes--lights falling from the skies, a backstage set where elevators are supposed to be--Truman begins to discover that maybe his life is not what he thinks it is.
There's little not to like here, and it does seem to get better every time I watch it. The film's climax is one of my favorites, and Truman's conversation with Christof in the final moments is poignant and powerful. Our lives, the film reminds us, may get messy and complicated, but at least they are ours. Now we have to step into the dark and make something out of them.
Really, this might be in my top twenty. Definitely top fifty. Gets me every time.
Director: Hong-jin NaGenre: ThrillerSource: South Korea (2008)
Rating: R
Location/Format: Netflix Instant Watch
Grade: A-
In a late attempt to catch up (at least a little) with Filmspotting's Korean Cinema marathon, I decided to make November Korean cinema month. I don't have access to all of the same films they do, but I'll do what I can, and find other examples to make up the difference.
I'm glad I got to start with The Chaser, though. Part serial killer thriller, part search-and-rescue mission, all high stakes suspense, the film was at times hard to watch, but always hard to look away from. Pimp Joong-ho is a former police officer whose cruelty to people is only surpassed by the nonchalance with which he treats them. People are only important in terms of what they mean to him. Disappearing prostitutes? They're screwing him over. Minion doesn't handle a situation right? He's an idiot that deserves to be threatened and slapped around. Someone might be selling his girls out from under him? They're robbing him of his rightful property. He doesn't care much for anyone, and seems just fine with that.
The disappearance of a third girl in a short period of time, however, changes all that. Joong-ho goes to find her, and eventually discovers something much bigger is going on. That something? Young-min Jee, who claims to have murdered 12 people, but won't reveal the details about where he did it. As Joong-ho tries to track down and save Mi-jin (the third girl) while Young-min sits in the police station watching the legal bureaucracy trip all over itself, the pimp has to face (at least a little) the cost of what his way of life means. After all, the disappeared Mi-jin did not live alone, so Joong-ho's emotional isolation might be threatened as his search accelerates.
The film is gripping, sprinkled with gut-wrenching violence (Young-min's hammer is terrifying every time it appears), a little bit of black comedy, and an increasing sense of desperation. But (spoiler alert) it's also a story about redemption and reformation. It's a fitting end to a film filled with Christian imagery (and perhaps there is an obtuse religious reason behind Young-min's crimes), Joong-ho ends the film slumped against the wall of a hospital against a structure that, due to angles and set design, looks suspiciously like a cross. At its heart, this is a film about learning that one's life cannot be only about oneself. Joong-ho's search for Mi-jin may have started with a self-centered interest, but it eventually takes him far past that into recognition that other people's lives have meaning--and meaning to him--far greater than he gave them credit for. Yun-seok Kim (as Joong-ho) is hugely compelling as a slightly doughy and increasingly desperate anti-hero, and he makes a great counterpoint to the endlessly creepy Jung-woo Ha as Young-min. The two are an effective match, and each of their encounters rises in stakes and intensity.
The Korean revenge genre is not for everyone, but The Chaser--if not as flashy or as melodramatic as the better-known Oldboy--is a great example of how the genre can create emotional weight. Really compelling.
